As the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to grapple with insecurity leading up to its upcoming elections, incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has announced his intention to participate in the polls, securing another term in the country’s upcoming presidential elections scheduled to hold in December 2020.
Touadéra, who was elected in February 2016 after securing two-thirds of the total votes cast, currently governs the African country which has been ravaged by over seven years of civil war with the support of a large United Nations peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA). The CAR, however, still struggles to stem vicious inter-communal violence in the poor, landlocked nation where armed militia groups control two-thirds of the territory. This ongoing violence has continued to affect the country despite a peace accord signed in February last year between the government and 14 armed groups, which often claim to defend the interests of specific communities or religions.
“It is a very heavy responsibility. I accept to be your candidate,” the head of state, who had been expected to run for re-election, told members of his United Hearts Movement (MCU) party in the capital Bangui.
Touadéra is expected to face off against the Central African Republic’s deposed former president, François Bozizé, who was overthrown in a 2013 rebellion by a coalition of mainly Muslim rebels from the north, plunging the majority Christian nation into a violent civil war.
Another top contender is Catherine Samba-Panza, who became the first woman to lead the country of 4.7 million people in the wake of a political crisis when she guided the CAR through a transitionary period as interim president from 2014 to 2016.
Doubts Surrounding Feasibility of Elections
The election in the war-torn nation had been thrown into doubt due to the coronavirus pandemic and resurgent militia attacks. However, the Central African Republic’s parliament voted on Wednesday, September 23rd 2020 to grant the electoral body extra time to register voters, but the election commission fell behind with voter registration due to the insecurity and additional disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, said Territorial Administration Minister Augustin Yangana-Yahote.
